324 Dr. Elnar Lonnbeig — Notts on Arctonyx. 



appears to be the case in leiicolcemus." The type of orestes 

 being a ^^ young adult ^^ female, its cranial measurements are 

 directly comparable with those of our specimen from Kansn. 

 The latter prove, however, to be very much smaller in every 

 dimension. Especially noteworthy is the difference in size 

 of m\ the greatest diameter of which is 16 mm. in orestes^ 

 but only 13*8 mm. in the present specimen from Kansu. 

 This^ together with the great differences in colour, convinces 

 me that these two forms of Arctonyx are quite distinct from 

 each other. 



Quite recently Jacobi *; when describing the mammals of 

 Stotzner's expedition to China, has pointed out that the 

 coloration etc. of A. ohscurus is subjected to considerable 

 variation, and he has also liad a specimen, which he refers to 

 this species, which lias the whole back black. It is rather 

 dlfhcuit to express any opinion in this case, as the author 



Fiu-. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



Tig. 1. — End of snout oi Arctony.v, lateral view. 

 Fig. 2. — lihinarial disk of Arctonyx. 



quoted has not recorded any measurements of skulls and 

 teetli etc. It might be possible that, when more material has 

 been examined, the present specimen may prove only to 

 represent a variety of A, ohscurus ; but, on the other hand, 

 the development of local races in a country with such natural 

 conditions as western China is almost to be expected. 



As the specimen from Kansu is in a very good state of 

 preservation, I am able to add some remarks about structural 

 details, which may be of more general interest than the 

 description of a subspecies. 



Blanford's description of the snout of Arctonyx — "long, 

 mobile, naked towards the end, and truncated, the terminal 



* Abb. II. 13er. d. Mus. f. Tierk. u. Yolkerk., Dresden, 1922, Bd. x^ 

 Nr. 1. 



